The 2020 Scottish Challenge Cup final, also known as the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup final for sponsorship reasons, was a football match that was scheduled to take place between Raith Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle,[1][2] but was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of contesting the final at a later date, the two clubs shared the cup.
| Event | 2019–20 Scottish Challenge Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Shared | |||||||
Route to the final
The competition is a knock-out tournament and was contested by 58 teams from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in 2019–20.[3] The competition was originally only contested by clubs in the Scottish football league system, but teams from Wales and Northern Ireland were added from 2016–17,[4] the Republic of Ireland in 2017–18, and two teams from the English National League (fifth tier) were added from 2018–19.[5][6]
Raith Rovers
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Second round[7] | Ross County Under-21s (a) | 3–2 |
| Third round[8] | Falkirk (h) | 2–0 |
| Fourth round[9] |  Glenavon (h) | 3–1 |
| Quarter-final[10] | Elgin City (h) | 3–2 |
| Semi-final[1] | Partick Thistle (a) | 2–1 |
Inverness
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Third round[11] | Greenock Morton (h) | 3–1 |
| Fourth round[12] | Alloa Athletic (h) | 3–0 |
| Quarter-final[13] | Clyde (h) | 0–0 (a.e.t.) 4–2 (p) |
| Semi-final[2] | Rangers Under-21s (h) | 2–1 |
Match details and cancellation
Inverness player James Keatings was initially suspended for the final, having been sent off for being shown two yellow cards during the semi-final.[14] An appeal against one of those cards, and the resulting suspension, was rejected by a Scottish Football Association panel.[14] A new appeal hearing was convened when one of the panel members advised the SFA that they had not considered all of the available evidence.[15] This second panel rescinded one of the cards, which would have made Keatings available to play in the final.[16]
The match was originally scheduled for 28 March 2020,[1] but all of Scottish football was suspended on 13 March due to the coronavirus pandemic.[17] The Scottish Football Association confirmed on 16 March that the SPFL had postponed the match, pending further information from the Scottish Government about when and how football could be resumed.[18][19] When the SPFL announced in October 2020 that the 2020–21 edition of the competition had been cancelled, it also said that the 2019–20 final would "be scheduled for a date later this season", i.e. during 2020–21.[20]
On 30 April 2021, it was announced that the 2019–20 final would not be played and that both clubs would share the title instead.[21]